Traveling can be tough – long flights, time differences, being out of your element, not to mention the difficulties encountered when trying to find good, healthy food. I’m happy to report my three week trip to Oregon this July was sublime, and I was floored at the range of delicious, healthy food options for me and my 3 year old son.
Over the course of our trip out west, I found a range of healthy fast food, west coast style mexican platters, boutique frozen yogurt, and high end restaurants that rival the best New York City could offer.
On July 4th I took my eager kid to Voodoo Donuts in downtown Portland. This local chain offers a huge variety of treats including several vegan options. While they’re not exactly “healthy” it was fun to have an unusual treat option. (Honestly, after 2 or 3 bites Laken handed his donut back to me and said “It’s too sweet – I don’t like it.” Music to my ears!)
Portland is also experiencing a growing boom of outdoor food courts. All throughout the city I found parking lots and parks filled with every kind of mom-and-pop (and pop-and-pop and single-mom) run kitchen on wheels imaginable. Cute trailers and shacks on wheels have been outfitted as kitchens and group together to share amenities. Bathrooms and picnic tables were always nearby, making the food court outings very family friendly. I was again surprised to find that nearly every food stand, cart, or trailer had at least one decent vegan option. I took my grandmother out for delicious biscuits and gravy one afternoon, and tried another South American cart’s friend plantains.
Since I grew up in PVM Portland (that’s “pre-vegan mecca”) I didn’t know what I was in for this year. It seems that every vegan with even a passing interest in cooking has opened up a culinary business in the thriving Rose City.
Even veg-celebrities have pulled up stakes to try their hand at
living in the mossy Great North West. I had a killer lunch with top vegan cookbook author-ess Isa Chandra Moskowitz (at right) at the Vita Cafe. Since I hadn’t eaten there in years, I asked for her recommendation. Isa said the Buffalo “Chicken” Wrap was a good bet, and I’m pleased to report she was right. The serving was huge and the buffalo sauce was spicy and savory, just the way I like my fake chicken.
To celebrate my dad’s retirement after 40+ years as a teacher and principal, we drove down to Eugene (Go Ducks!) for a few days of fun and a trip to the coast. I enjoyed seeing vegan items on the menu at the Drift Inn in Yachats (pronounced “ya-Hots”) and was even more excited to watch 2 whales feeding and playing just a few hundred feet off the shore.
My younger, more intelligent sister is working at local frozen yogurt shop in Eugene called Vanilla Jill’s where the owners make their own treats from local ingredients. I met owner Megan Stevens (at left) and was impressed with their eco-ethos and flavor options. Their vegan lime-coconut flavor was creamy and delicious, so next time you’re in Eugene, be sure to check them out.
I also gave a little “How Veganism Will Save The World!” presentation for The Eugene Vegetarian Education Network. The organizers were very sweet, and the crowd was great. I’m looking forward to heading back for another signing when Vegan Cooking For Dummies comes out this winter.
One of the best parts of going home to Oregon is meeting up with old friends. One night we tried out Los Gorditas, a true west coast style mexican restaurant. Huge portions, smooth beans, and Daiya cheese and Tofutti sour cream to boot! They didn’t sell beer, but the thoughtful entrepreneurs had a deal with the beer garden next door: take your food with you, get a beer, and enjoy their outdoor seating. Just promise to bring your plates back! There is also a totally vegan bar that serves great bar food called The Bye and Bye. It was so fun to order a “grilled cheese” to go with my beer.
For my final Portland feast, my sweet brother took me to one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten – and that says a lot considering I live in New York City. We have a few good vegan restaurants here.
But I was blown away by Portobello. This cozy establishment off SE Division offers a seasonal menu that was so enticing we had to share everything. The pizza, designed and cooked by a trained pizzioli, has a perfectly crisp-yet-chewy Neapolitan crust, and was topped with west coast style sun dried tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, fresh basil and Daiya cheese. The fake faux-gras with bread and spicy mustard was the best I’ve ever tasted. Potato gnocchi has never been better, and the farm-fresh arugula salad tasted like it was picked right before we ordered. For dessert we tried 2: the blueberry tart and the toasted polenta-sour cream pound cake. The tart which was so rich and perfectly “buttery” that I could hardly believe it was plain old Earth Balance in there. The pound cake was rich and flavored with almond and cherries. I could have died right then and there.
So, if you’re into good food, the great outdoors, whale watching, great beer, incredible book stores, get yourself to Portland for your next vacation. You won’t be sorry, although you may come home a few pounds heavier.
